Transistor with dopant-bearing metal in source and drain

ABSTRACT

A transistor and method of manufacturing thereof. A gate dielectric and gate are formed over a workpiece, and the source and drain regions of a transistor are recessed. The recesses are filled with a dopant-bearing metal, and a low-temperature anneal process is used to form doped regions within the workpiece adjacent the dopant-bearing metal regions. A transistor having a small effective oxide thickness and a well-controlled junction depth is formed.

This application is a divisional of patent application Ser. No.10/803,645, entitled “Transistor with Dopant-Bearing Metal in Source andDrain,” filed on Mar. 18, 2004, which application is incorporated hereinby reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices, andmore particularly to a method of fabricating a transistor and astructure thereof.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor devices are used in a variety of electronic applications,such as personal computers, cell phones, digital cameras, and otherelectronic equipment, as examples. A transistor is an element that isutilized extensively in semiconductor devices. There may be millions oftransistors on a single integrated circuit (IC), for example. A commontype of transistor used in semiconductor device fabrication is a metaloxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

The gate dielectric for MOSFET devices has in the past typicallycomprised silicon dioxide. However, as devices are scaled down in size,silicon dioxide becomes a problem because of gate leakage current, whichcan degrade device performance. Therefore, there is a trend in theindustry towards the development of the use of high dielectric constant(k) materials (e.g., having a dielectric constant of 3.9 or greater, forexample) for use as the gate dielectric in MOSFET devices.

High k gate dielectric development has been identified as one of thegrand challenges in the 2003 edition of International Technology Roadmapfor Semiconductor (ITRS), incorporated herein by reference, whichidentifies the technological challenges and needs facing thesemiconductor industry over the next 15 years. For low power logic (forportable electronic applications, for example), it is important to usedevices having low leakage current, in order to extend battery life.Gate leakage current must be controlled in low power applications, aswell as sub-threshold leakage, junction leakage, and band-to-bandtunneling. For high performance (namely, speed) applications, it isimportant to have a low sheet resistance and a minimal effective gateoxide thickness.

To fully realize the benefits of transistor scaling, the gate oxidethickness needs to be scaled down to less than 2 nm. However, theresulting gate leakage current makes the use of such thin oxidesimpractical in many device applications where low standby powerconsumption is required. For this reason, the gate oxide dielectricmaterial will eventually be replaced by an alternative dielectricmaterial that has a higher dielectric constant. However, deviceperformance using high k dielectric materials suffers from trappedcharge in the dielectric layer, which deteriorates the mobility, makingthe drive current lower than in transistors having silicon dioxide gateoxides, thus reducing the speed and performance of transistors havinghigh k gate dielectric materials.

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a prior art semiconductor device100 comprising a transistor with a high k gate dielectric material. Thesemiconductor device 100 includes field oxide regions 104 formed in aworkpiece 102. The transistor includes a source S and a drain D that areseparated by a channel region C. The transistor includes a gatedielectric 108 that comprises a high k insulating material. A gate 110is formed over the gate dielectric 108, as shown.

After the gate 110 is formed, the source region S and drain region D arelightly doped, e.g., by a lightly doped drain (LDD) implant, to formextension regions 128 of the source S and drain D. Insulating spacers112 are then formed along the sidewalls of the gate 110 and gatedielectric 108, and a source/drain implant is performed on exposedsurfaces of the workpiece 102, followed by a high temperature thermalanneal, typically at temperatures of about 1000 to 1015° C., to form thesource S and drain D.

One problem with the prior art semiconductor device 100 shown in FIG. 1is that an interfacial oxide 114 is formed between the workpiece 102 andthe high k dielectric 108, and an interfacial oxide 116 is formedbetween the high k dielectric 108 and the gate 110. The interfacialoxides 114 and 116 form because the workpiece 102 typically comprisessilicon, which has a strong tendency to form silicon dioxide (SiO₂) inthe presence of oxygen, during the deposition of the high k dielectric108, for example, forming interfacial oxide 114. Likewise, the gate 110often comprises polysilicon which also tends to form SiO₂ 116 on the topsurface of the high k gate dielectric 108.

The source S and drain D regions of the semiconductor device 100 areformed by implanting ions of a dopant species, and annealing theworkpiece 102 to cause diffusion of the dopant deep within the workpiece102, forming the source S and drain D regions. One problem with theprior art structure 100 is that the high temperature anneal processesused to form the source S and drain D tend to degrade the dielectricconstant of the high k gate dielectric 108. In particular, when exposedto a high temperature treatment, the interfacial oxides 114 and 116 havebecome thicker, increasing the effective oxide thickness (EOT) 118evaluated electrically from the entire gate stack (the interfacial oxide114, high k dielectric 108 and interfacial oxide 116) of thesemiconductor device 100. Thus, by using a high k dielectric materialfor the gate dielectric 108, it can be difficult to decrease the gatedielectric 108 thickness to a dimension required for the transistordesign, as devices 100 are scaled down in size.

Another problem with the prior art semiconductor device 100 shown inFIG. 1 is that by forming the source S and drain D using ionimplantation, it is difficult to meet the reduced junction depth X_(j)and sheet resistance R_(s) that are required for advanced technologies.The thicker the junction depth X_(j), the more the short channel effectssuch as the hot carrier effects become severe and degrade transistorreliability, causing source S and drain D leakage and/or punch-through.Furthermore, the device 100 has a high sheet resistance R_(s), whichdegrades drive current and circuit speed, thus making the semiconductordevice 100 less reliable for use in high-performance and/or high-speedapplications.

Therefore, what is needed in the art is a transistor design andfabrication method, wherein the effective gate dielectric thickness, thejunction depth, and the sheet resistance are reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other problems are generally solved or circumvented, andtechnical advantages are generally achieved, by preferred embodiments ofthe present invention which includes a transistor having source anddrain regions comprising a dopant-bearing metal. A low-temperatureanneal process is used to cause diffusion of dopants in thedopant-bearing metal into the workpiece adjacent the dopant-bearingmetal, forming doped regions. The doped regions and the dopant-bearingmetal comprise the source and drain of the transistor. Because alow-temperature anneal process is used to form the doped regions, theeffective oxide thickness of the gate dielectric is not substantiallyincreased during the low-temperature anneal, resulting in a thinnereffective gate dielectric (or oxide) thickness. Furthermore, thelow-temperature anneal results in a reduced junction depth.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, atransistor includes a source and a drain disposed in a workpiece, theworkpiece having a top surface, the source and drain being separated bya channel region. The source and drain each comprise a dopant-bearingmetal region disposed within the top surface of the workpiece. A dopedregion is disposed in the workpiece adjacent each dopant-bearing metalregion. A gate dielectric is disposed over the channel region and aportion of the source and the drain. A gate is disposed over the gatedielectric.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, a transistor includes a source disposed in a workpiece, theworkpiece having a top surface. The source includes a firstdopant-bearing metal region disposed within the top surface of theworkpiece, and a first doped region disposed in the workpiece adjacentthe first dopant-bearing metal region. A drain is disposed in theworkpiece, the drain being separated from the source by a channelregion. The drain comprises a second dopant-bearing metal regiondisposed within the top surface of the workpiece and a second dopedregion disposed in the workpiece adjacent the second dopant-bearingmetal region. A gate dielectric is disposed over the channel region anda portion of the source and the drain. A gate is disposed over the gatedielectric.

In accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, a method of fabricating a transistor includes providing aworkpiece, depositing a gate dielectric material over the workpiece, anddepositing a gate material over the gate dielectric material. The gatematerial and the gate dielectric material are patterned to form a gateand a gate dielectric over a channel region of the workpiece. A firstrecess is formed in a source region of the workpiece, and a secondrecess is formed in a drain region of the workpiece. The source regionand the drain region are proximate and separated by the channel region.The method includes filling the first recess and the second recess witha dopant-bearing metal, and annealing the workpiece to cause diffusionof a dopant of the dopant-bearing metal into the workpiece, forming adoped region within the workpiece adjacent the dopant-bearing metal inthe source region and the drain region.

Advantages of preferred embodiments of the present invention includeproviding a transistor design and manufacturing method thereof, whereinthe total anneal temperature for the transistor manufacturing processflow is reduced, reducing the thermal budget and improving the gatedielectric quality. The sheet resistance in the source and drainextension region is extremely low, and the junction depth can bewell-controlled because of the recess formation process. Junctions withabrupt edges may be formed in the source and drain regions. Because thedoped regions beneath the dopant-bearing metal regions are formed at alow temperature, the dopant diffuses less into the workpiece, creating athinner junction depth, reduced sheet resistance, and reduced effectivegate oxide thickness.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technicaladvantages of embodiments of the present invention in order that thedetailed description of the invention that follows may be betterunderstood. Additional features and advantages of embodiments of theinvention will be described hereinafter, which form the subject of theclaims of the invention. It should be appreciated by those skilled inthe art that the conception and specific embodiments disclosed may bereadily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structuresor processes for carrying out the same purposes of the presentinvention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art thatsuch equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and theadvantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptionstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a prior art transistor;

FIGS. 2 through 8 show cross-sectional views of a transistor at variousstages of manufacturing in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, wherein source and drain regions are recessed andthen filled with a dopant-bearing metal, followed by a low temperatureanneal process;

FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the presentinvention, wherein deep source and drain regions are formed by ionimplantation and a thermal anneal, after forming the dopant-bearingmetal source and drain regions;

FIGS. 10 and 11 show cross-sectional views of another embodiment of thepresent invention, wherein a sidewall spacer is formed over sidewalls ofthe gate dielectric and gate before forming the recess for thedopant-bearing metal; and

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the presentinvention, wherein a sidewall spacer is formed before forming the recessin the source and drain regions, and deep source and drain regions arealso formed, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 9.

Corresponding numerals and symbols in the different figures generallyrefer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated. The figures aredrawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the preferredembodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The making and using of the presently preferred embodiments arediscussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that thepresent invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that canbe embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to makeand use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention.

The present invention will be described with respect to preferredembodiments in a specific context, namely a transistor formed on asemiconductor device. The invention may also be applied, however, toMOSFETs or other transistor devices, including p channel metal oxidesemiconductor (PMOS) transistors, n channel metal oxide semiconductor(NMOS) transistors, and/or complimentary metal oxide semiconductor(CMOS) devices, as examples. Only one transistor is shown in each of thefigures; however, there may be many other transistors and devices formedin the manufacturing process for the semiconductor devices shown.

FIGS. 2 through 8 show cross-sectional views of a preferred embodimentof the present invention at various stages of manufacturing. Referringfirst to FIG. 2, a semiconductor device 200 comprises a workpiece 202.The workpiece 202 may include a semiconductor substrate comprisingsilicon or other semiconductor materials covered by an insulating layer,for example. The workpiece 202 may also include other active componentsor circuits, not shown. The workpiece 202 may comprise silicon oxideover single-crystal silicon, for example. The workpiece 202 may includeother conductive layers or other semiconductor elements, e.g.,transistors, diodes, etc. Compound semiconductors, GaAs, InP, Si/Ge, orSiC, as examples, may be used in place of silicon. The workpiece 202 mayalso comprise a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, for example.

The workpiece 202 may be lightly doped (not shown). In general, theworkpiece is doped with the either N or P type dopants, depending onwhether the junctions of the transistor will be P or N type,respectively. For example, if the transistors to be manufacturedcomprise PMOS transistors, the workpiece 202 may be lightly doped with Ntype dopants. Or, if NMOS transistors will be formed, the workpiece 202may be lightly doped with P type dopants.

Isolation regions 204 may be formed in various locations on theworkpiece 202, as shown. The isolation regions 204 may comprise shallowtrench isolation (STI) regions or field oxide regions that are disposedon either side of a channel region C of a transistor 230 (not shown inFIG. 2; see FIG. 8), for example. The isolation regions 204 may beformed by depositing a photoresist over the workpiece 202, not shown.The photoresist may be patterned using lithography techniques, and thephotoresist may be used as a mask while the workpiece 202 is etched toform holes or patterns for the isolation regions 204 in a top surface ofthe workpiece 202. An insulator such as an oxide, for example, may bedeposited over the workpiece 202 to fill the patterns, forming isolationregions 204. Alternatively, the isolation regions 204 may be formed byother methods, for example.

Note that if PMOS and NMOS transistors (not shown) are to bemanufactured on the same workpiece 202, the workpiece 202 may be lightlydoped with P type dopants, the NMOS portions of the workpiece 202 may bemasked, and well implants may then be formed to create N wells for thePMOS devices. P type implants may then be implanted into the NMOSportions.

A gate dielectric material 208 is deposited over the workpiece 202, asshown in FIG. 2. The gate dielectric material 208 may comprisetraditional insulating materials used for gate dielectrics, such assilicon dioxide (SiO₂), silicon nitride (Si_(x)N_(y)) or siliconoxynitride (SiON). However, embodiments of the present invention areparticularly advantageous when a high k material is used for the gatedielectric material 208. Thus, in one embodiment, the gate dielectricmaterial 208 preferably comprises a high dielectric constant material,such as HfO₂, HfSiO_(X), Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, ZrSiO_(X), Ta₂O₅, or La₂O₃, asexamples, although alternatively, the gate dielectric material 208 maycomprise other low k or high k insulating materials.

The gate dielectric material 208 may comprise a single layer ofmaterial, or alternatively, the gate dielectric material 208 maycomprise two or more layers. In one embodiment, one or more of thesematerials can be included in the gate dielectric material 208 indifferent combinations or in stacked layers. The gate dielectricmaterial 208 may be deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomiclayer deposition (ALD), metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD),physical vapor deposition (PVD), jet vapor deposition (JVP), asexamples, although alternatively, the gate dielectric material 208 maybe deposited using other suitable deposition techniques. The gatedielectric material 208 preferably comprises a thickness of about 10 Åto about 60 Å in one embodiment, although alternatively, the gatedielectric material 208 may comprise other dimensions, such as 80 Å orless, as an example. The workpiece 202 may optionally be exposed to apre-gate treatment (not shown) such as a HF, HCl or ozone based cleaningtreatment, as examples, before depositing the gate dielectric material208.

A gate material 210 is deposited over the gate dielectric material 208.The gate material 210 preferably comprises a conductor, such as a metalor polysilicon, although alternatively, other conductive andsemiconductive materials may be used for the gate material 210. Forexample, the gate material 210 may comprise TiN, HfN, TaN, a fullysilicided gate material (FUSI), or other metals, as examples. The gatematerial 210 may comprise a plurality of stacked gate materials, such asa metal underlayer with a polysilicon cap layer disposed over the metalunderlayer, or a combination of a plurality of metal layers that form agate electrode stack. Alternatively, in another embodiment, the gatematerial 210 may comprise polysilicon or other semiconductor materials.The gate material 210 may be deposited using CVD, PVD, ALD, or otherdeposition techniques, as examples.

The gate material 210 and the gate dielectric material 208 are patternedusing a lithography technique to form a gate 210 and a gate dielectric208 of a transistor, as shown in FIG. 3. For example, a photoresist (notshown) may be deposited over the workpiece 202. The photoresist may bepatterned with a desired pattern for the gate and gate dielectric, andthe photoresist may be used as a mask while the gate material 210 andthe gate dielectric material 208 are etched to form the gate material210 and gate dielectric material 208 into the desired pattern. Thephotoresist is then stripped or removed.

Note that a thin interfacial layer 220 is likely to be formed during thedeposition of the gate dielectric material 208, or during a cleaningtreatment such as a wet pre-clean, prior to the gate dielectric material208 deposition, as examples. This thin interfacial layer 220 typicallycomprises a thickness of about 7 Å or less. The thin interfacial layer220 forms by the reaction of silicon or other semiconductor material inthe workpiece 202 with an oxide in the gate dielectric material 208 orpre-clean process.

Next, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention, the workpiece 202 is recessed in the source S and drain Dregions, as shown in FIG. 4. The source S region and drain D region maybe recessed using a dry etch process containing argon as an example,although alternatively, other etch chemistries may also be used to formthe recesses. The etch process in one embodiment is preferablyanisotropic, to avoid reducing the horizontal dimensions (e.g., lateraletching) of the gate 210 and the gate dielectric 208, for example.Alternatively, the etch process to create the recesses may comprise anisotropic etch, such as an etch process referred to as “chemicaldownstream etching,” which is a technique employing microwave plasmasource, low bias RF power, or a combination of both, for isotropicrecessing of silicon in the workpiece 202 selective to the isolationoxide 204, as an example, although other isotropic etch processes mayalternatively be used. The depth h₁ of the recesses in the source S anddrain D regions preferably comprises about 200 Å or less below the topsurface 222 of the workpiece 202, as an example. Preferably, the sourceS region and the drain D region are recessed in a single processingstep, e.g., they are recessed at the same time. The source S region anddrain D region may be recessed using an additional separate etchprocess, or alternatively, the source S region and the drain D regionmay be recessed during the gate 210 and gate dielectric 208 patterningprocess, for example.

A dopant-bearing metal 224 is deposited over exposed portions of theworkpiece 202, the top surface of the gate 210, and isolation regions204, as shown in FIG. 5. The dopant-bearing metal 224 preferablycomprises a metal that includes a dopant such as boron (B), phosphorous(P), arsenic (As), or antimony (Sb), as examples, althoughalternatively, the dopant may comprise other dopant materials. Thedopant-bearing metal 224 preferably comprises TiB₂, ZrB₂, HfB₂, ZrP,TiP, ZrSb₂, TiSb₂, HfSb₂, or arsinides of Zr or Hf, as examples,although alternatively, the dopant-bearing metal 224 may comprise othermetals containing a dopant.

The metal portion (e.g., Ti, Zr, Hf) of the dopant-bearing metal 224causes the source S and drain D to have a lower sheet resistance R_(s),and the dopant portion (e.g., B, P, Sb, As) creates the junction of thesource S and drain D. Preferably, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent invention, the dopant-bearing metal 224 is selected to provide areduced sheet resistance R_(s) for the semiconductor device 200.

The recesses in the source S and drain D regions are preferablyback-filled with the dopant-bearing metal 224. For example, thedopant-bearing metal 224 may be deposited using electron beamevaporation, CVD, or physical vapor deposition, although alternatively,other methods of deposition may be used to deposit the dopant-bearingmetal 224.

The dopant-bearing metal 224 may be substantially conformal whendeposited, as shown in FIG. 5. Excess portions of the dopant-bearingmetal 224 are removed from over the isolation regions 204, gate 210 topsurface and sidewalls, and sidewalls of the gate dielectric 208, leavingthe structure shown in FIG. 6. The excess portions of the dopant-bearingmetal 224 may be removed using an anisotropic etch process or anisotropic etch process. As examples, the excess portions may be removedusing wet, dry, electrochemical or chemical etch processes, althoughother etch processes may alternatively be used. The top surface of thedopant-bearing metal regions 224 formed in the source S and drain Dregions may be substantially planar with the top surface 222 of theworkpiece 202, as shown, although alternatively, the dopant-bearingmetal regions 224 may be slightly recessed or concaved slightly withinthe recesses of the workpiece 202 (not shown).

In one embodiment, at this stage of manufacturing, the dopant-bearingmetal regions 224 may be doped using ion implantation. This is anoptional step that is not required in embodiments of the presentinvention but may be appropriate for some transistor designs. In thisoptional step, dopant ions 225 are introduced into the dopant-bearingmetal regions 224 using ion implantation. This increases the dopantconcentration in the dopant-bearing metal regions 224, resulting in anincrease in dopant concentration of the underlying dopant region (notshown in FIG. 6: see FIG. 7 at 226) during the diffusion of the dopantof the dopant-bearing metal regions 224 into the underlying substrate202 in subsequent processing steps. When this optional ion implantationstep is included in the manufacturing process, preferably, theimplantation is performed at an energy level of about 1 KeV or below atan implantation dose of about 1×10¹⁵ ions/cm² or less, as examples.

The workpiece 202 is then subjected to a low-temperature anneal processto cause out-diffusion of dopants in the dopant-bearing metal regions224 and form a doped region 226 in each of the source S region and drainD region within the workpiece 202 adjacent the dopant-bearing metalregions 224, as shown in FIG. 7. The doped region 226 extends beneaththe dopant-bearing metal regions 224 and also extends laterally (to theside of the dopant-bearing metal regions) beneath the gate 210 and gatedielectric 208 by about 70 Å or less, as shown at 228. Thelow-temperature anneal process preferably comprises a temperature ofabout 900° C. or less for about 1 hour or less, and more preferablycomprises a temperature of about 900° C. for about 20 minutes or less,as examples. The doped regions 226 preferably comprise a thickness ofabout 100 Å or less.

Thus, the source S and the drain D each comprise a dopant-bearing metal224 and a doped region 226 disposed adjacent (namely, below andextending laterally from) the dopant-bearing metal 224, as shown. Thesource S and drain D preferably comprise a total thickness of about 300Å below the top surface 222 of the workpiece 202.

Note that the doped region 226 includes an extension region 228 thatextends beneath the gate dielectric 208 and extends towards the channelregion C. One advantage of the transistor 230 formed in accordance withembodiments of the present invention is that the extension region 228can be made smaller than in traditional transistor designs. For example,the extension region 228 may extend beneath the gate 210 on either sideby a distance d₁, which may comprise about 70 Å or less, e.g., about 20to about 50 Å. This is advantageous because the resistance of theextension region 228 is low, resulting from the reduced amount ofoverlap d₁, which reduces hot carrier effects of the transistor 230.

In one embodiment, the dopant-bearing metal 224 comprises a higheratomic percentage of the dopant than would be found in a natural stateof the dopant-bearing metal 224, and the percentage of the dopant in thedopant-bearing metal 224 is reduced after the low-temperature anneal,resulting from dopant ions diffusing into the workpiece 202 to form thedoped regions 226. For example, if the dopant-bearing metal 224comprises Ti bearing the dopant B, the dopant-bearing metal 224 maycomprise TiB_(x), where x>2, e.g., 3, 4, etc. In this embodiment, afterthe low temperature anneal to form the doped regions 226, thedopant-bearing metal 224 comprises a reduced atomic percentage of thedopant, and may comprise, for example, TiB₂. Note that while there isless of the dopant species left residing in the dopant-bearing metal 224after the low-temperature anneal because some dopant atoms migrate tothe dopant region 226, some dopant species are still left residing inthe dopant-bearing metal 224.

The manufacturing process for the device 200 is then continued tocomplete the device 200, preferably without subjecting the semiconductordevice 200 to high temperatures, e.g., preferably without exposing thesemiconductor device 200 to a temperature greater than about 900° C. Forexample, a spacer material 212 comprising a dielectric material such asSiO₂, SiN, or SiON, as examples, although other insulating materials mayalso be used, may be deposited over exposed portions of the workpiece202. The sidewall spacer 212 material may be exposed to an etch processsuch as an anisotropic etch to form sidewall spacers 212, as shown inFIG. 8.

Thus, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a transistor230 is formed that includes a gate 210, a source S and a drain D,wherein the source S and drain D comprise the dopant-bearing metalregions 224 and the doped regions 226. The transistor device 230 has athin effective oxide thickness 238 which includes the interfacial layer220 and the gate dielectric 208. Advantageously, because the transistor230 is not exposed to a high-temperature anneal process, e.g., attemperatures of 1000° C. or more, increasing the thickness of theinterfacial layer 220 is avoided, thus decreasing the effective oxidethickness 238. For example, the interfacial layer 220 preferablycomprises a thickness of about 2 Å to about 7 Å, and more preferablycomprises a thickness of about 7 Å or less. Furthermore, because alow-temperature anneal is used to form the doped regions 226 of thesource S and drain D, this results in a shallower junction depth 231 ofthe transistor device 230. The transistor 230 is particularlyadvantageous in applications wherein a high drive current and minimaleffective oxide thickness are important, such as in high performance(e.g., high speed) applications, for example, in use with memory andother devices.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which a similarprocess flow may be used as was described for FIGS. 2 through 8. Similarreference numbers are designated for the various elements in FIG. 9 aswere used in FIGS. 2 through 8. To avoid repetition, each referencenumber shown in the figure is not described in detail herein. Rather,similar materials and thicknesses described for x02, x04, etc. . . . arepreferably used for the material layers shown as were described forFIGS. 2 through 8, where x=2 in FIGS. 2 through 8 and x=3 in FIG. 9. Asan example, the preferred and alternative materials listed for thedopant-bearing metal 224 in the description for FIGS. 2 through 8 arepreferably also used for the dopant-bearing metal 324 in FIG. 9.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, after the sidewall spacers 312 areformed over the sidewalls of the gate 310 and the gate dielectric 308,an ion implantation process is used, followed by a high temperatureanneal process, at a temperature of about 1000° C. or more, to form deepsource and drain regions 336 in the source S and drain D regions, asshown. The target depth of this optional ion implantation process ispreferably greater than the depth of the dopant bearing metal 324 anddoped region 326, in one embodiment, as an example. The deep source anddrain regions 336 may comprise a depth h₂ of about 500 Å or greaterbeneath the workpiece top surface 322, for example. If the transistor332 comprises a PMOS transistor, BF₂, and if the transistor 332comprises an NMOS transistor, As, may be implanted at an energy level ofabout 10 KeV at an implantation dosage of about 1×10¹⁵ ions/cm², asexamples.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the resulting transistor 332 may havea thicker interfacial oxide 320 than the interfacial oxide 220 of FIG.8, and may also have an additional interfacial oxide formed between thegate dielectric 308 and the gate 310 (not shown), yet the transistor 332benefits from a reduced sheet resistance R_(s) due to the presence ofthe dopant-bearing metal 324 of the source S and drain D. Thistransistor 332 is advantageous in some transistor 332 applications thatrequire a deeper source S and drain D implant to prevent junctionleakage current from the source S and drain D to the workpiece 302, suchas in low power applications. In these applications, a higher effectiveoxide thickness does not deleteriously affect the transistor 332performance.

FIGS. 10-11 and 12 show additional preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, in which a double spacer is used adjacent the gate dielectricand gate, along the sidewalls. A similar process flow and structure maybe used as was described for FIGS. 2 through 8, and 9 for theembodiments shown in FIGS. 10-11 and 12. Similar reference numbers aredesignated for the various elements in FIGS. 10-11 and 12 as were usedin FIGS. 2 through 8 and 9. Again, to avoid repetition, each referencenumber shown in the figure is not described in detail herein. Rather,similar materials and thicknesses described for x02, x04, etc. . . . arepreferably used for the material layers shown as were described forFIGS. 2 through 8 and 9, where x=2 in FIGS. 2 through 8, x=3 in FIG. 9,x=4 in FIGS. 10-11, and x=5 in FIG. 12.

FIGS. 10 and 11 show cross-sectional views of another preferredembodiment of the present invention, wherein a first spacer 440 isformed over the sidewalls of the gate 410 and gate dielectric 408 beforeforming a recess in the source S and drain D regions. The first spacers440 preferably comprise a thickness of about 50 Å or less, and maycomprise an insulating material such as SiO₂, SiN, or SiON, as examples.Similar manufacturing processes and materials are used as were describedfor the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 through 8, resulting in thetransistor 444 shown in FIG. 11 in a cross-sectional view. A secondspacer 442 is formed adjacent and abutting the first spacers 440, asshown, after the formation of the source S and drain D regions asdescribed herein. Again, the transistor 444 has a decreased effectiveoxide thickness 438 of the gate dielectric 408, and has a junction depth431 that is well-controlled and very shallow. This embodiment isadvantageous in that the extension regions 428 of the source S and drainD are further reduced, extending a distance d₂ of about 50 Å or lessbeneath the edge of the gate 410 and gate dielectric 408, as shown.

FIG. 12 shows an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a firstspacer 540 and second spacer 542 are used, as described for FIG. 11. Inaddition, the workpiece 502 is subjected to a subsequent ionimplantation process to form deep source and drain regions 536 in thesource S and drain D, as described with reference to the embodimentshown in FIG. 9. This results in a transistor 546, as shown, having deepsource and drain regions 536 and also including a first spacer 540 and asecond spacer 542 disposed on either side of the gate 510 and gatedielectric 508. As described with reference to FIG. 9, the relativelyhigh anneal temperatures required to form the deep source and drainregions 536 result in an increased EOT, but this does not present aproblem in some applications. The transistor 546 has a decreased sheetresistance R_(s) and a decreased junction depth 531.

Advantages of preferred embodiments of the present invention includeproviding transistor designs 230, 332, 444, and 546 and methods ofmanufacture thereof, having source S and drain D regions comprising adopant-bearing metal 224, 324, 424, 524. Dopants are diffused in alow-temperature anneal process to a region beneath the dopant-bearingmetal 224, 324, 424, 524, forming doped regions 226, 326, 426, 526. Thedoped regions 226, 326, 426, 526 and the dopant-bearing metal 224, 324,424, 524 comprise the source S and drain D of the transistors 230, 332,444, and 546. Metals have a lower sheet resistance than other materialsused in semiconductor manufacturing, generally. Thus, using a metal inthe source S and drain D region results in a lower sheet resistanceR_(s) in the extension regions 228, 328, 428, 528 for the transistors230, 332, 444, and 546 described herein.

Because a low-temperature anneal process is used to form the dopedregions 226, 326, 426, 526, the effective oxide thickness of the gatedielectric is not substantially increased during the low-temperatureanneal process used to form the doped regions 226, 326, 426, 526,resulting in a thinner effective gate dielectric thickness (or effectiveoxide thickness (EOT)), which comprises the total thickness of the thininterfacial oxide and gate dielectric 220/208 or 420/408. Furthermore,the junction depth 231, 331, 431, 531 may be reduced by embodiments ofthe present invention due to the etch process used to create the recessfor the dopant-bearing metal 224, 324, 424, 524, which arewell-controlled. Hot carrier effects are also reduced, due to thereduced distance that the extension region 228, 328, 428, 528 of thesource S and drain D extends beneath the gate 210, 310, 410, 510. Thetransistors described herein benefit from a reduced thermal budget andimproved gate quality.

Again, only one transistor is shown in each figure. However, a pluralityof transistors may be formed simultaneously in accordance withembodiments of the present invention, not shown. Furthermore, PMOS andNMOS transistors may be fabricated on a single workpiece, by maskingportions of the workpiece while other portions are processed.

Although embodiments of the present invention and their advantages havebeen described in detail, it should be understood that various changes,substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.For example, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the artthat many of the features, functions, processes, and materials describedherein may be varied while remaining within the scope of the presentinvention. Moreover, the scope of the present application is notintended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process,machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and stepsdescribed in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art willreadily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention,processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means,methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed, thatperform substantially the same function or achieve substantially thesame result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may beutilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appendedclaims are intended to include within their scope such processes,machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

1. A transistor, comprising: a source and a drain disposed in aworkpiece, the workpiece having a top surface, the source and drainbeing separated by a channel region, wherein the source and drain eachcomprise a dopant-bearing metal region disposed within the top surfaceof the workpiece, and a doped region disposed in the workpiece adjacenteach dopant-bearing metal region; a gate dielectric disposed over thechannel region and a portion of the source and the drain; and a gatedisposed over the gate dielectric.
 2. The transistor according to claim1, wherein the dopant-bearing metal regions comprise a thickness ofabout 200 Å or less.
 3. The transistor according to claim 2, wherein thedopant-bearing metal regions comprise TiB₂, ZrB₂, HfB₂, ZrP, TiP, ZrSb₂,TiSb₂, HfSb₂, or arsinides of Zr or Hf.
 4. The transistor according toclaim 1, wherein the doped regions comprise a thickness of about 100 Åor less.
 5. The transistor according to claim 1, wherein thedopant-bearing metal regions and a dopant in the doped regions compriseB, P, As, or Sb.
 6. The transistor according to claim 1, wherein thesource and the drain comprise a thickness of about 300 Å or less belowthe top surface of the workpiece.
 7. The transistor according to claim1, wherein the gate dielectric comprises a high dielectric constantmaterial, silicon dioxide (SiO₂), silicon nitride (Si_(x)N_(y)) orsilicon oxynitride (SiON).
 8. The transistor according to claim 7,wherein the gate dielectric comprises HfO₂, HfSiO_(X), Al₂O₃, ZrO₂,ZrSiO_(X), Ta₂O₅, La₂O₃, SiO₂, Si_(x)N_(y), SiON, or combinationsthereof.
 9. The transistor according to claim 1, further comprising aninterfacial dielectric disposed between the gate dielectric and thechannel region of the workpiece.
 10. The transistor according to claim9, wherein the interfacial dielectric comprises a thickness of about 7 Åor less.
 11. The transistor according to claim 1, wherein the gate andthe gate dielectric comprise sidewalls, further comprising a firstspacer disposed over the sidewalls of the gate and the gate dielectric.12. The transistor according to claim 11, wherein the first spacercomprises a width of about 20 Å to about 70 Å.
 13. The transistoraccording to claim 11, wherein the first spacer comprises sidewalls,further comprising a second spacer disposed abutting the sidewalls ofthe first spacer.
 14. The transistor according to claim 1, wherein thesource and the drain each comprises a deep implantation region disposedbeneath each doped region.
 15. A semiconductor device comprising atleast one transistor according to claim
 1. 16. The semiconductor deviceaccording to claim 15, wherein the at least one transistor comprises aPMOS transistor, an NMOS transistor, or both.
 17. A transistor,comprising: a source disposed in a workpiece, the workpiece having a topsurface, wherein the source comprises a first dopant-bearing metalregion disposed within the top surface of the workpiece and a firstdoped region disposed within the workpiece adjacent the firstdopant-bearing metal region; a drain disposed in the workpiece, thedrain being separated from the source by a channel region, wherein thedrain comprises a second dopant-bearing metal region disposed within thetop surface of the workpiece and a second doped region disposed withinthe workpiece adjacent the second dopant-bearing metal region; a gatedielectric disposed over the channel region and a portion of the sourceand the drain; and a gate disposed over the gate dielectric.
 18. Thetransistor according to claim 17, wherein the dopant-bearing metalregion comprises about 100 Å or less of TiB₂, ZrB₂, HfB₂, ZrP, TiP,ZrSb₂, TiSb₂, HfSb₂, or arsinides of Zr or Hf.
 19. The transistoraccording to claim 17, wherein the gate dielectric comprises HfO₂,HfSiO_(X), Al₂O₃, ZrO₂, ZrSiO_(X), Ta₂O₅, La₂O₃, SiO₂, Si_(x)N_(y),SiON, or combinations thereof.